An Egyptian journalist's statement sparked outrage among Egypt's hardline Islamists, accusing the journalist of committing "contempt of Islam." Ibrahim Issa, an outspoken critic against Muslim groups, claimed on Friday, February 18, that the Prophet Muhammad's journey to Jerusalem never happened.

By Abdulla Gaafarelkhalifa

On February 1, 2022, the Egyptian parliament discussed increasing the penalty for wife-beating proposed by a female lawmaker, Amal Salama. Salama stated that she did not believe the current penal code provided “appropriate penalties” for domestic violence.

As it stands, women are unprotected as no law specifically criminalizes domestic abuse against women. Salama’s proposal details imprisonment of up to five years for men who beat their wives.

Abdullah Rushdy, an Egyptian Muslim preacher, issued a fatwa against bodybuilding and bodybuilding competitions. In an October 11 tweet, Rushdy explained that bodybuilding makes men display their “awrah.” Competitive bodybuilders are “showing intimate parts, which should be covered according to the Sharia,” Rushdy tweeted.

On Sunday, February 14th, a Hamas-run Islamic court ruled that unmarried women in the Gaza Strip now require permission from a male ‘guardian’ to travel, which is usually an older male relative. A married woman would require approval from her husband. Permission to travel without guardianship would have to be authorized by a court. 

An Egyptian TV host has been sentenced to one year for interviewing a gay man last year on his privately owned LTC TV channel.